Real Hope: Second ChancesSample

Mercy Seat

How gracious God was to make Himself and His plan of salvation known to the people of Israel, especially through such an iconic symbol of grace and mercy as the Ark of the Covenant. It must have been spectacular. Exodus 35:31,33b says, ‘The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts....He is a master at every craft.’

When I was a young Christian, I remember saying, ‘I would have loved to be there and to have seen the tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat.’

But to put things in perspective, the New Testament says, ‘The old system of living under the law presented us with only a faint shadow, a crude outline of the reality of the wonderful blessings to come’ (Hebrews 10:1 TPT).

So Exodus gives us a glimpse of grace, but the knowledge of God’s perfect plan of salvation through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ fully completes the picture. As Peter says, ‘Though you have not seen him, you love him and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy’ (1 Peter 1:8 NIV).

Today’s devotion encourages us to value the Old Testament but also to seek the full reality of God’s New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ.

Written by JOHN SCOTT

Want more? Check out the Real Hope Conversations Podcast and delve deeper into our conversation about Second Chances. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.